Railtrack faces prosecution over Euston station track safety

Railtrack faces prosecution if it fails to comply with safety demands to improve the condition of the track outside Euston station, it was warned yesterday.

In evidence to the all-party Commons committee on transport, Stan Robertson, chief inspecting officer of the railways, working on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, said there had been "failures in the Railtrack system" that led to the track condition deteriorating so badly that immediate improvements were necessary.

Thousands of commuters and long-distance travellers have faced lengthy delays because of the condition of the track in recent months, and in March, the HSE took the rare step of issuing an improvement notice, giving Railtrack a year to carry out the work. Mr Robertson said the HSE was monitoring the situation "regularly but not monthly", an answer which did not appear to satisfy the MPs, who pressed him to be more specific.